Reform-Minded Superintendent Leaving Las Vegas

Clark County Schools Superintendent Dwight Jones announced Tuesday evening that he is stepping down from the nation's fifth-largest school district.

Jones, who was hired in October 2010, said he is leaving to take care of his ailing mother.

His mother had been ill for some time, but her condition worsened over the past few weeks, Jones said. For about a month, Jones had been traveling to Dallas to care for his mother, he said. Jones contemplated a leave of absence to be with his mother in Texas for a short period, but he said he realized he "couldn't do both jobs."

"I just need to support my mother. She needs me 100 percent," Jones said. "She is important to me and my family."